Failed to pass both houses, will not become law this session
Over 11 years ago, President Obama issued the executive order that established the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program – or DACA – giving nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children the chance to live, work, and go to school without fear of deportation. While DACA has been a significant step forward in the fight to expand immigrant rights, it falls short of the pathway to citizenship Dreamers deserve.
The 8,000 Dreamers who live in Wisconsin, along with the undocumented community as a whole, play a vital role in keeping Wisconsin running. According to a Dreamers of Wisconsin tuition equity policy brief, DACA-eligible residents of Wisconsin pay $48 million in local, state, and federal taxes and make massive contributions to our economy. The difference that DACA recipients make economically is so significant that without them the state would lose $427 million in GDP annually.
Despite this, state law currently bars Dreamers from working in countless professions that require professional licensure in Wisconsin – from teaching to nursing to plumbing to real estate to cosmetology. Under this bill, if all other qualifications for the professional license are met, DACA recipients would be able to obtain these licenses.
